We believe the relationships children have in the early years will form the basis for healthy development throughout their lives.
Program Highlights
- Primary caregiver
- Activities recorded
- Parent communication
- Independent schedule
- Parent-teacher conferences
- Tummy time/supported sitting
- Outdoor time
- Age-appropriate toys
- Music and art activities
Our infants are cared for in small groups of 6-8 children. A separate space within this area is set aside for infant care. This accommodates the particular needs of very young babies who spend much of their time eating and sleeping before they become mobile.
Once a child is creeping or walking, there are large spaces for active exploration, areas for messy activities, and small, soft places for quiet reading, singing, pretend play, or one-on-one play with a teacher or friend.
Every infant has particular preferences, rituals and routines, but there’s one thing they all have in common: a need for consistent, responsive caregivers.
At The Learning Village, we don’t try to make infants comply with a daily schedule that is convenient for caregivers. Rather, we follow infant’s cues and allow them to eat and sleep on demand.
Somewhere between three months and six months of age, most infants begin to develop a more predictable daily rhythm. We provide older infants with a smooth routine that balances active and quiet play, thereby reducing stressful and abrupt transitions.
Teachers in a room share care of all the children, so that all caregivers are a familiar, comforting presence to both children and adults. The teacher-to-child ratio in our infant rooms is 1:4.
Toddler Care
We support toddlers’ emotional, physical and cognitive development by providing routines and rituals that are consistent, comfortable, and attuned to individuals’ needs and interests.
Program Highlights
- Emotional skill development
- Social relationships
- Planned activities throughout the daily routine
- Parent-teacher conferences
- Toilet training
- Child-sized furniture
- Outdoor play
- Quiet sleep area
Toddler age is a time of remarkable changes and rapid development – physical, social, language, and self-help skills. They want to do things themselves even if they may not be completely able.
They are becoming more independent by making choices about every aspect of their day. Their temperaments are emerging in their choices and interests. These new skills and temperaments are emerging quickly and require nurturing relationships to support them during this time.
Children also begin to work on toileting and impulse control. The Learning Village caregivers support toddlers’ emotional, physical and cognitive development by providing routines and rituals that are consistent, comfortable, and attuned to individuals’ needs and interests.
The toddler area is designed for safety with child-size furniture in cozy spaces, diaper-changing space, small toilets for toilet-learning, easy access to outdoor toddler play space, large-motor equipment, quiet sleep area and family-style meals. Each area has enough interesting materials available for play with several children.
Our teacher-to-child ratio for toddlers is 1:4.
Preschool
Our staff support these preschoolers with individual and intentional learning opportunities Supporting their growth with consistent, caring adults in a nurturing environment.
Program Highlights
- School readiness
- Art, music and movement
- Peer interaction
- Parent-teacher conferences
- Outdoor play
- Social development
- Consistent routines and rules
Preschoolers are ready for experiences that will build on their readiness for school. They learn best by using materials in their own way, expressing themselves in language, communication, art, music, movement and initiative.
All children have the right to play, explore, make choices and friends, be respected and nurtured by consistent caregivers and teachers. In The Learning Village preschools, we see this in children’s shift from focusing on interactions with adults to truly engaging with their peers rather than merely playing alongside one another.
Throughout the day, children have opportunities to develop social skills such as turn-taking, impulse control, empathy, and compromise. Our familiar routines, consistent rules, and challenging activities boost preschool children’s confidence in their own abilities while helping them make sense of their world and establish a sense of control.
Our teacher-to-child ratio in the preschool room is 1:8-10.